piston_cupfandomcom-20200222-history
Artists who Performed at the Nightdona/Florida Opening Ceremony
The Nightdona/Florida Ceremony is a special event. It started in 1946. More than 60 artists have performed. Usually, the singers come in-person to perform at the ceremony but on some occasions, the music is played by loudspeakers (mono in the '60s and '70, stereo in the '80s and '90s, and digital in the present day). List of Artists Who Performed in the Nightdona Opening Ceremony *1946 - Popeye: His theme *1947-1970 to be added later *1971 - The Archies: Sugar Sugar *1972 - MTV and VH1: Strip Weathers is THE KING! *1973 - Carpenters: Please Mr. Postman and Close to You *1974 - The Beatles: Help, Yellow Submarine and I'm the Walrus *1975 to 1979 TBA *1980 - Any song about clouds,storms or rain(since that day was very cloudy and it even rained during the race) *1981 - TBA *1982 - Rolling Stones: Start Me Up *1983 - Bee Gees: Stayin Alive *1984 - Alice Cooper: You and Me *1985 - Queen: Bohemian Rhapsody *1986 - ABBA: Dancing Queen *1987 - Stingy: The "Mine" Song *1988 - Robbie Rotten: We Are Number One *1989 - MTV and VH1: DuckTales Theme Song *1990 - Beast Boy and Cyborg: The Pie Song *1991 - Billy Idol: White Wedding Part 1 and Rebel Yell *1992 - Pinkie and Spike: Chapcar *1993 - Queen: We Will Rock You *1994 - MTV and VH1: World's Most Popular Piston Cup Racer Of the '80s/The Murray Clutchburn Song *1995 - The US Air Force: Moog SSB (the one used in WABC. Used as the national anthem.) *1996 - Duran Duran: The Reflex *1997 - Michael Jackson: Thriller *1998 - AC/DC: ThunderStruck *1999 - Pearl Jam: Alive *2000 - Smash Mouth: All-Star *2001 - R Kelly: I Believe I Can Fly! *2002 - Lee Greenwood: God Bless The USA *2003 - Michael Jackson: Billie Jean *2004 - Michael Jackson: Bad *2005 - Steve from Minecraft: I need a Diamond Sword *2006 - Audioslave: Your Time Has Come *2007 - Ryan Shields: Imagine *2008 - Metallica: The Unforgiven *2009 - Rick Astley: Never Gonna Give You Up *2010 - Yakko, Wakko and Dot: Animaniacs Theme Song (With the ending being Nightdona's the name-y, suggesting that Nightdona is the speedway's actual name and not Florida) *2011 - Ocean Man *2012 - Pinkie and Spike: Ruby Easy Oaks Song *2013 - Carly Rae Jepsen: Call Me Maybe *2014 - Katy Perry: Teenage Dream *2015 - Bruno Mars: Uptown Funk *2016 - Taylor Swift: Shake It Off *2017 - Adele: Hello *2018 - Usher: The DJ got us falling in love again. *2019 - Katy Perry: Firework *2020 - I Wanna Be Famous or Total Drama theme. *2021 - Motley Crue: Kickstart My Heart Trivia *God Bless The USA was chosen on 2002 to remember victims of the September 11 Attacks (including employees of Tow Cap and Sidewall Shine, who both had offices on the North Tower SS never recovered and shut down in 2012.), but also to remember Dale Earnhardt Sr., who died in the final lap of the 2001 Nightdona 500. *Since 2012 was Ruby's final season, The Ruby Easy Oaks Song was played by Pinkie and Spike. *Ryan Shields is one of the racers who are good at singing. He took singing as a talent due to him being blind since he was 7 years old because according to him "it was something he did not need his eyes for". *However, Ryan is the only racer who has a song chosen for the Nightdona opening ceremony, In this case, Ryan's version of "Imagine" by John Lennon.